For those of you who only know Anthony Randolph as one of the newest Knicks, let me give you a little more insight. Randolph was said by many scouts to be the most talented players as far as potential in the 2008 draft.

He is very talented and has serious all-star potential.In the 2008 draft, many fans felt Anthony Randolph was the best player in the draft. Besides the fans, Knicks President Donnie Walsh also felt  Randolph was the best player in that draft.

During a recent interview Donnie Walsh revealed that he wanted to draft Randolph in 2008. However, he did not want to take a chance on Randolph because Randolph was lightweight for a player of his height. Walsh felt that Randolph’s weight would cause him to have injuries, much like Jonathan Bender who Walsh drafted in the past.

Anthony Randolph played under head coach Don Nelson in previous seasons in the NBA. Randolph like many other players did not see eye-to-eye with Don Nelson. Yes, Don Nelson has the record for the most NBA wins as a head coach, but he is also up there with the most loses for an NBA coach. As good of a coach Don Nelson can be sometimes he can also be whacky.

I remember when he was the Knicks coach back in the days and he wanted the offense to go through Anthony Mason instead of Patrick Ewing. If this were a cartoon Don Nelson would be Batman’s Mad Hatter because of the schemes he comes up with. That being said, Anthony Randolph was more or less in the doghouse with Don Nelson.

There were some games that Randolph would score several points in a row and then suddenly he would be benched for the rest of the game without an explanation.

The good news is Anthony Randolph now has a chance to show his real skill and make a fresh start on a new team. At 6’10” Anthony Randolph has the ability to play four positions on the court plus he can bring up the ball. Even in the NBA it is really hard to find a player at Randolph’s height who can get above rim like him and score off the dribble.

He is also very explosive off one step to drive. Any defender sleeping on Randolph will get left behind and dunked on. He also has a nice mid-range shot that is very underrated. However, at times he does not do well at hitting the mid-range shot off the dribble.

Off the jab step all Randolph needs is one fake to blow by his man for the power dunk or hard layup. Either way he is going to score or get to the line. If you leave him open then he can hit the shot from 10-13 feet out. Off the dribble his crossover is deadly.

He can use it on his opponent or use a combination of spin moves to get to the hole. The fact that he has long arms he can shoot over his opponent. This makes him almost impossible to guard with his face to the basket. In the post he has a fade-away shot he can hit all day. However, he needs to get stronger to gain position. The best strategy for a defender is to make sure Randolph never gets in position or it’s over.

On the fast break he is at his best. From the point that Anthony Randolph gets a rebound he can run the break by himself. He literally can run a 1 on 4 break because of his foot speed, ball handle, and long steps. On defense he is good at getting block shots. He also can get steals and control the passing lanes. His main weakness is dealing with big bodies in the post. Randolph has to get stronger.

The negatives

Randolph at times makes poor decisions on the offensive end of the court. At times you will see him taking jumpshots instead of passing to his teammates. He also needs to mix it up by driving right more often instead of going left the majority of times.

Randolph does turn the ball over more than he should for a player with a solid handle and so few minutes. He also has to learn when to drive or when to take the jumpshot. Things like Randolph trying to shoot off the dribble isn’t going to work for him.

That is an area he needs to improve on. Most importantly he has to bulk up if he ever wants to defend the post area well. Randolph could also improve on this 3 point shooting.

Overall

Anthony Randolph has room to grow. He just turned 21, and he could benefit from playing with Amar’e and Felton. They can advise him how to use skill and move around the basket. What I like about Randolph is he has the skills to be a top player in the league. He just needs good coaching and to making better decisions when he is on the court.

On the Knicks he will be one of the key weapons because of his defense in the 3-2 zone and one-on-one defense on small forwards and shooting guards. Do not be surprised if Mike D’Antoni has Randolph playing a role like Jared Jeffries did on the defensive end of the court.

On offense the sky is the limit. I could see him averaging 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal a game with real minutes next season. What I like most about Randolph is his confidence and how he wants to be the best. Those are key traits that no one can take away from him.

Randolph might be the new guy on the block but he will quickly become a face that the fans will love to see on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden.

Anthony Randolph welcome to New York.